Kendrapada: Drawn by higher wages amid an ongoing war, a growing number of youths from Kendrapada, besides other parts of Odisha, are heading to Russia to work in bauxite mines and allied sectors, risking their lives for better earnings.As Russia’s mining sector expands, demand for workers has surged, attracting many from the district. “I used to earn Rs 15,000 a month in a restaurant in Bhubaneswar. I moved to Russia six months ago to work at the Cheryomukhovsky bauxite mine and now earn around Rs 1 lakh a month,” said Sarada Prasan Sahoo (41) of Gulanagar near Kendrapada.He said he learnt about the death of Odia worker A Ramaya in an Ukrainian drone attack near Moscow but mining areas remain unaffected. “But anything can happen in a country at war,” he said.Located in Severouralsk in Sverdlovsk Oblast, around 450 km north of Yekaterinburg in the Ural Mountains, the Cheryomukhovsky mine is among the deepest in the world, extending beyond 1.4 km underground.Workers typically spend about seven hours a day in the mines with two weekly off days. “Conditions are tough. Temperatures can drop to -10 to -30°C. But we take the risk as there are limited earning opportunities in Odisha. Companies provide accommodation and food,” Sahoo added.The shift towards Russia has also been triggered by job losses in Gulf countries amid recent West Asia tensions. “I worked as a plumber in Dubai for three years, but the company shut down due to prevailing situation there. I returned home and later found work in Russia. I now earn around Rs 1 lakh a month,” said Rashmi Ranjan Barik (39) of Banapur.Samar Sahoo, a Bhubaneswar-based immigration consultant, said around 120 youths from Odisha have been sent to Russia over the past year. “We recently recruited about 100 more, including 30 from Kendrapada, for jobs in the Cheryomukhovsky mine, Krasnoyarsk metallurgical plant and Volgograd Aluminum company,” he said, adding that many unemployed youths are willing to work in Russia despite risks due to higher pay.Trade union leader Jagajiban Das said migration for overseas jobs has long been common in Kendrapada. “Every year, at least 2,000 youths from the district go to West Asia and other regions for work, mainly as plumbers. Since last year, many have started moving to Russia for jobs in mines and other sectors,” he said.District labour officer (Kendrapada) Ananta Padmanava Mahamansingh said the administration has no specific data on workers from the district employed in Russia. “Many from Kendrapada work in different states and countries, but we do not have information about those working in Russia,” he added.Kendrapada: Drawn by higher wages amid an ongoing war, a growing number of youths from Kendrapada besides other parts of Odisha are heading to Russia to work in bauxite mines and allied sectors, risking their lives for better earnings.As Russia’s mining sector expands, demand for workers has surged, attracting many from the district. “I used to earn Rs 15,000 a month in a restaurant in Bhubaneswar. I moved to Russia six months ago to work at the Cheryomukhovsky bauxite mine and now earn around Rs 1 lakh a month,” said Sarada Prasan Sahoo (41) of Gulanagar near Kendrapada.He said he learnt about the death of Odia worker A Ramaya in an Ukrainian drone attack near Moscow but mining areas remain unaffected. “But anything can happen in a country at war,” he said.Located in Severouralsk in Sverdlovsk Oblast, around 450 km north of Yekaterinburg in the Ural Mountains, the Cheryomukhovsky mine is among the deepest in the world, extending beyond 1.4 km underground.Workers typically spend about seven hours a day in the mines with two weekly off days. “Conditions are tough. Temperatures can drop to -10 to -30°C. But we take the risk as there are limited earning opportunities in Odisha. Companies provide accommodation and food,” Sahoo added.The shift towards Russia has also been triggered by job losses in Gulf countries amid recent West Asia tensions. “I worked as a plumber in Dubai for three years, but the company shut down due to prevailing situation there. I returned home and later found work in Russia. I now earn around Rs 1 lakh a month,” said Rashmi Ranjan Barik (39) of Banapur.Samar Sahoo, a Bhubaneswar-based immigration consultant, said around 120 youths from Odisha have been sent to Russia over the past year. “We recently recruited about 100 more, including 30 from Kendrapada, for jobs in the Cheryomukhovsky mine, Krasnoyarsk metallurgical plant and Volgograd Aluminum company,” he said, adding that many unemployed youths are willing to work in Russia despite risks due to higher pay.Trade union leader Jagajiban Das said migration for overseas jobs has long been common in Kendrapada. “Every year, at least 2,000 youths from the district go to West Asia and other regions for work, mainly as plumbers. Since last year, many have started moving to Russia for jobs in mines and other sectors,” he said.District labour officer (Kendrapada) Ananta Padmanava Mahamansingh said the administration has no specific data on workers from the district employed in Russia. “Many from Kendrapada work in different states and countries, but we do not have information about those working in Russia,” he added.